Quartan

a. and sb. Forms: 4–7 quartaine, 4, 7 -ain, 5–6 -ayn(e; 4–6 quarteyn(e, (4 -en, 5 -ein); 5–7 quartane, (6 cart-), 6– quartan. See also QUARTERN, a. [Orig. a. F. (fièvre) quartaine, ad. L. (febris) quartān-a fem. of quartān-us, f. quartus fourth. The mod. form is directly based on the L.]

  A.  adj. 1. Path. Of a fever or ague: Characterized by the occurrence of a paroxysm every fourth (in mod. reckoning, every third) day.

  In early use placed after the sb., as in F.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 11828. He … þar-wit had feuer quartain.

a. 1400.  Stockh. Med. MS., ii. 954, in Anglia, XVIII. 330. Ageyn feuerys quarteyn It is medicyn souereyn.

1494.  Fabyan, Chron., VII. 520. The appellaunt … was sore vexyd with a feuer quarteyne.

1547.  Boorde, Brev. Health, cxxxix. 51. A fever quartayne … doth infeste a man every thyrd day, that is to say two dayes whole and one sycke.

1570.  Googe, Pop. Kingd., IV. 52 b. The quartan ague and such other sicknesse greate.

a. 1612.  Harington, Salerne’s Regim. (1634), 25. Cow flesh, Harts flesh,… doe engender fever Quartaines.

1750.  trans. Leonardus’ Mirr. Stones, 73. Taken with Wine, it drives away Quartan Agues.

1852.  Miss Yonge, Cameos (1877), II. xxxiii. 339. Quartan ague had seized on the enfeebled frame of her father.

1875.  Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 670. A quartan fever, which can with difficulty be shaken off.

  † 2.  Belonging to the fourth place or degree. Obs.

1794.  E. Darwin, Zoon. (1801), IV. 185. The tertian or quartan links of associate motions are actuated by direct sympathy.

  B.  sb. A (or the) quartan ague or fever.

  Double quartan, one in which there are two sets of paroxysms, each recurring every fourth (third) day.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 249. Porcius … slowȝ hym self for noye and sorwe of a double quarteyn.

1450–80.  trans. Secreta Secret., 32. He shalle haue no dowte of flewme … and he shalle haue no quarteyne.

c. 1491.  Caxton, Chast. Goddes Chyld., 23. Of this quarteyn some men falle in to another feuer that is cleped double quartein.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, I. ciii. § 2. 170. A roote or two … is a good remedie against old quartaines.

1633.  Bp. Hall, Occas. Medit. (1851), 147. The quartan hath of old been justly styled the shame of physicians.

1725.  Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Spider, The Spider it self will cure Quartans.

1822–34.  Good’s Study Med. (ed. 4), I. 607. The tertian [has] a longer paroxysm and a shorter interval than the quartan.

1898.  P. Manson, Trop. Diseases, i. 25. In quartans and tertians, but especially in the former, sporulating rosette forms are seen occasionally.

  fig.  1590.  Nashe, Pasquil’s Apol., I. B iij. He that hath such a dubble quartane of curiositie … will prooue passing treacherous.

  Quartan: see QUARTERN sb.² 5.